Spring assembly for upholstery



June 21, 1949. r w. w. GLEASON 2,473,706

SPRINIG ASSEMBLY FOR UPHOLSI'ERY Filed Aug. 30, 1946 {.5 4 5 k"- A A! 6I I l I 421/ I Jade-n Z502".- Jazz MGkas/z Patented June 21, 1949WiIIiamWaIter Gleason, Chicago'jIlL, assignor to "Nachm'an Corporation,Chicago, 111., acorpora- ":Ap'plicatiomAugustfim 1946; Serial No.r693;831

i 2 Claims. l

-. This. invention relates .to improvements .in springvzassembliesforupholsteryand has for its main object to provide simple and eflicientmeans for cennecting. all of. the springs of the structure with eachother" and. marginal. frame.. members and utilizing said connecting.vmeansto .connect devices .with said marginal frames which. bridge theterminal coils of alLof the component springs of ..the assembly;.thereby to prevent .ba'ttsi or. pads of'fibrous materials covering thefaces "of'said assembly when the latter is incorpor'ated'in a mattressorncushion from projecting appreciably into the end 'portionsof saidcomponent springs.

A further objectof theinventionis to so associate themeansconne'cting'thesprings with each otherrwithmaid spring bridging.meanssasi toi-maintain the latter held firmly againstrlateraldisplacement relative to springs bridged thereby without resort-to theuse of any meansconnecting saidibridging elements with said spring'and'marginal frame connecting means. 7

:Anothepobject of the inve-ntiomis to" provide bridgingmeansadditionally tothose which'bri'dge thenend coils of saidsprings,.-for=-bridging open spacesiincthe assembly borderedgiby thei''outer peripheral surfaces of the terminal coils of the componentsprings of the assembly which are similarly connected with said marginalframes and the spring connecting means as are those which bridge theterminal coils of the said springs.

Suitable embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a spring assembly constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical detail sectional view, on an enlargedscale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of embodiment ofthe invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view taken on the line5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the art to which the invention relates, spring assemblies of the typeillustrated in Patent #2,124,695, are varied with respect to the totalnumber and diametric dimensions of the terminal coils of theconventional hour-glass type of upholstery spring employed, to vary theproduction costs of the assemblies proportionately to the number ofsprings of which said respective assemblies are composed, the shapes ofsaid terminal coils of said springs being also varied.

Thus, for example, a spring assembly of standard double bed size,composed of large diameter springs may containlten longitudinallydisposed parallel ..rows of. springs .whichlarehspaced i only slightlyJspaced .apart the .numberlof springs-of each .row. being. determined,-ofm .co'urse by lithe length ofithe assembly. and. the diameters.of.;the terminal coils of the springs.

Obviously, ifthe assembly. of; given size :isicomposedv of a -smallernumber OfrSELid. rows. of. springs, the latter are spaced.farther-apartandathusthe assembly presents relatively. large..:.areaopen spaces betweenrsaid. rows :intouwhichias .wellias into. rthe rendsoflthe springsi the saiditbatts .or padding .will project. 7

All of the springs "of the severalzrowsnthereof areoonnected with eachand with: -the=.-adiaoent rows and. thelmarginalirames bymeansofaconventionalhelical-.tie-wires which bridge the spacesbetweenathe rows of,springs.,.-.and\ saidrtie-lwires bridge the largestarea spaces tbetweenlsaiderows.

..The framemembers m ay:be composedaofuoonventionalround =wire-inrplace; of the iiatwwire type of .the-aforesaidapatent and-'shoWn in Htheaccompanying drawings orz of: wire-.ofwany-other cross-sectional shape.andgin -somer-instances', they may be composed only of helicalr-wirerengaged with the outermost portions of the terminal coils of themarginal springs of the assembly, the plan views illustrated being topor bottom alike.

The conventional helical tie-wires 3 of Fig. 1 extend transversely ofthe rows of springs l, conventionally, but do not extend to the marginalframe members 4, nor are they engaged therewith or with the helicaltie-wires 5 which connect all of the marginal springs I with said framemembers 4. The terminal coils of the tie-wires 3 are distortedconventionally to form closed loops which prevent disengagement of saidtie-wires from the springs I Which they join.

The bridge elements or members 2 are composed, preferably, of resilientwire which may be flat or round, the flat type being preferred, and areequipped with substantially L-shaped terminals which present arms 6extending at right angle to the body portions.

The body portions of said members 2 extend through coils of thetie-wires and, in most instances, extend diametrically of the springs lof the several rows of the latter that are joined by said tie-wires, thearms 6 of said members 2 being engaged in several coils each of thetie-wires 5 of the frame members 4.

It is immaterial whether the body portions of the members 2 are disposedoutwardly or inwardly of the terminal coils of the springs I, because,first, they are composed of small gauge wire, round or flat; and thusare of less width than the length of the coils of the tie-wires 3, and,when passed through the latter, they are free to move laterally to onlya very limited degree. As shown in Fig. 5, the wires 2 may pass underoverlapped end-coil portions of springs I and then over the nextadjacent overlapped spring portion, or as shown in Fig. 4, they mayextend only over the terminal coils of all springs I of a row.

The terminal end portions of said members 2 may be bent, to the L-shapeform shown, at one or both ends after they have been threaded into placerelative to the springs I and through the selected coils of thetie-wires 3, before the frame members 4 are secured in place by thewires 5, the terminal arms 6 being disposed upon the frame member 4before the latter are secured to the said marginal springs I, in thepreferred embodiment of the invention.

The above described method of effecting assembly of the structure may bevaried, however, as by the provision of means, in an assemblingequipment, whereby the members 2 equipped with arms 6 are maintained inbridging relation to rows of springs I while the tie-wires 3 are beingdisposed in encircling relation to the terminal coils of said springs I,thus to cause said tie-wires 3 to also encircle the members 2 at theirpoints of bridging the encircled portions of the springs I.

The members 2 of Fig. 1 which are disposed between the rows of springs Imay be omitted, and are omitted in instances, such as shown in Fig. 4,wherein the said rows of springs I are spaced apart only slightly.

As shown in Fig. 4, the springs I of every row may be bridged by aplurality of said members 2, and in all instances wherein the springs Iand tie-wires 3 are assembled prior to the addition of said members 2,the latter, as straight strips, devoid of the terminal arms 6, may passover and underneath the terminal coils of the springs and through theproper coils of the tie-wires 3, and the ends of said members 2 bent tohook formations 1 engaged with the frame members 4 as shown in Fig. 5.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spring assembly comprising a series of parallel spaced apart rowsof upholstery springs, helical tie-wires extending transversely of saidrows and joining all springs of all of said rows, resilient borderframes disposed marginally of all marginal springs of the several rowsof the latter, resilient flat wires bridging all springs of each rowaxially of the same and equipped with terminal flanges overlapping anddisposed in surface contact with the border frame, the width of saidflat wires being no greater than the length of coils of said tie-Wiresand being secured by the latter to overlapped terminal end-coil portionsof the springs, encircling and joining the springs of the several rowsof the latter, the end-coils of the springs of each row and end-coilportions of the springs of the outermost rows thereof being disposed inoverlapping relation to the border frames, and helical tie-wiresencircling said border frames, the flanges of said bridging wires andthe portions of the springs overlapping said border frames.

2, A structure, according to claim 1, wherein the border frames and thesaid bridging wires are composed of flat wire and the flanges of saidbridging wires overlap the outer faces of said border frames and theend-coil portions of all marginal springs overlap the inner faces of theborder frames.

WILLIAM WALTER GLEASON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referemces are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

